August
"Dr. Romano?" a quiet voice pierced Robert's ears, and he raised his head abruptly.
"Yes?" he asked groggily, blinking and rubbing his forehead. Registering the face before his as Frankie's, he gave her the small smile he was accostumed to now. "What time is it?" he asked as he sat up, leaning back in his chair.
"Three AM, you've been asleep for a couple of hours," she said quietly, glancing over towards the hospital bed. "I know you want to be here if she wakes up but -"
"It's not like I'm always here, Frankie," Robert said shortly, his voice taking on it's normal sharp tone. "I'll be perfectly fine and yes I'm getting enough sleep, please spare me the mother speech again," he said, and Frankie shut her mouth.
"I'm sorry," she mumured.
"Don't be," Robert said, and Frankie raised an eyebrow. Robert glanced at her, but to her surprise he didn't follow up with some wise-ass remark.
"So," Frankie cleared her throat after a moment of silence, "she hasn't woken up yet?"
"Does it look like she has?" Robert said quietly, trying to muster the strength to surpress the annoyance that was always there. Frankie glanced down, before turning towards the door.
"I'll come back in a while," Frankie replied, and when Robert looked up again she was gone.
//And another person goes. That's all they do now - come and go. Who was it the other day? Christopher? Some brother of hers - at least one member of her family gives a damn.\\
The sound of silence began to disturb him, and he shifted his weight to create some noise. Looking towards Jordan's prone form again, he managed to keep his gaze stoic.
//Look at her, with those tubes sticking out of her. They even put a tube down her throat. Goddamn it, I should've caught this sooner! And I call myself a doctor. Bullshit.\\
Robert could feel that now familiar feeling of anger welling up inside of him, and he blinked.
//She doesn't deserve this. I deserve it if anything, I've made so many mistakes in my life. I wish it was me -\\
"Robert?" Elizabeth's familiar voice sounded, and Robert's eyes shot to her face.
"Lizzie," he said with forced cheer, and she smiled slightly. "What are you doing down in these parts?" he asked, starting to stand up.
"No no, sit down," Elizabeth stopped him, and after a pause Robert sat back down. "I just wanted to remind you that you have to be in the OR in less than an hour."
"My memory is perfectly functional Lizzie, but I'm sure I'm thankful for the thought. What interests me is why you decided to come and deliver this reminder in person and not page me or call me?" Robert asked wryly, and Elizabeth glanced down at Jordan.
"I wanted to see how she was."
"Oh, is that it?"
"What are you implying Robert?"
"Nothing," he replied gleefully. "I believe you absolutely, considering you've spent less than an hour with her over the past two months."
"And you have spent most of the two months with her," Elizabeth snapped, and Robert looked up in surprise.
"You act as if she has anybody else," he replied coolly, and Elizabeth's gaze softened slightly.
"I didn't know you were capable of emotions," she shot back, and Robert's face froze. "Robert?" she asked in alarm at the shadow that covered his face. "Are you alright?"
"Don't you need to be somewhere Lizzie?" he snapped angrily, looking away. "I thought I heard Benton calling your name. Oh wait, I'm sorry, that was coming from a bathroom stall before," he drawled sarcastically, and Elizabeth's gaze turned icy cold.
"You son of a bitch," she hissed, turning and stalking out of the room. Robert's angry gazed followed her out, he sighed and let the expression fall. Turning his saddened eyes to Jordan, he bowed his head.
//Over a month of this. A month of this shit and silence and worrying. It's so fucking familiar - I never wanted to go through this again\\
Robert cracked his knuckles, feeling the sharp twinge of pain from his fingers ease the sudden sadness.
//If only - if only I had caught this sooner. If only I had paid more attention - god it's all happening again, the same scenario, the same pain and thoughts. Only this time there's not much more to lose. And, this time there were so many more ways to prevent it. And I call myself a doctor.\\
The sound of his pager going him off startled him out of his memories, and he jumped slightly in the chair. Glancing at it, he sighed as he read the message telling him to get up to the OR. Standing up he leaned over and, after a pause, gently squeezed Jordan's hand.
"Wake up soon."
"Dr. Romano?" a quiet voice pierced Robert's ears, and he raised his head abruptly.
"Yes?" he asked groggily, blinking and rubbing his forehead. Registering the face before his as Frankie's, he gave her the small smile he was accostumed to now. "What time is it?" he asked as he sat up, leaning back in his chair.
"Three AM, you've been asleep for a couple of hours," she said quietly, glancing over towards the hospital bed. "I know you want to be here if she wakes up but -"
"It's not like I'm always here, Frankie," Robert said shortly, his voice taking on it's normal sharp tone. "I'll be perfectly fine and yes I'm getting enough sleep, please spare me the mother speech again," he said, and Frankie shut her mouth.
"I'm sorry," she mumured.
"Don't be," Robert said, and Frankie raised an eyebrow. Robert glanced at her, but to her surprise he didn't follow up with some wise-ass remark.
"So," Frankie cleared her throat after a moment of silence, "she hasn't woken up yet?"
"Does it look like she has?" Robert said quietly, trying to muster the strength to surpress the annoyance that was always there. Frankie glanced down, before turning towards the door.
"I'll come back in a while," Frankie replied, and when Robert looked up again she was gone.
//And another person goes. That's all they do now - come and go. Who was it the other day? Christopher? Some brother of hers - at least one member of her family gives a damn.\\
The sound of silence began to disturb him, and he shifted his weight to create some noise. Looking towards Jordan's prone form again, he managed to keep his gaze stoic.
//Look at her, with those tubes sticking out of her. They even put a tube down her throat. Goddamn it, I should've caught this sooner! And I call myself a doctor. Bullshit.\\
Robert could feel that now familiar feeling of anger welling up inside of him, and he blinked.
//She doesn't deserve this. I deserve it if anything, I've made so many mistakes in my life. I wish it was me -\\
"Robert?" Elizabeth's familiar voice sounded, and Robert's eyes shot to her face.
"Lizzie," he said with forced cheer, and she smiled slightly. "What are you doing down in these parts?" he asked, starting to stand up.
"No no, sit down," Elizabeth stopped him, and after a pause Robert sat back down. "I just wanted to remind you that you have to be in the OR in less than an hour."
"My memory is perfectly functional Lizzie, but I'm sure I'm thankful for the thought. What interests me is why you decided to come and deliver this reminder in person and not page me or call me?" Robert asked wryly, and Elizabeth glanced down at Jordan.
"I wanted to see how she was."
"Oh, is that it?"
"What are you implying Robert?"
"Nothing," he replied gleefully. "I believe you absolutely, considering you've spent less than an hour with her over the past two months."
"And you have spent most of the two months with her," Elizabeth snapped, and Robert looked up in surprise.
"You act as if she has anybody else," he replied coolly, and Elizabeth's gaze softened slightly.
"I didn't know you were capable of emotions," she shot back, and Robert's face froze. "Robert?" she asked in alarm at the shadow that covered his face. "Are you alright?"
"Don't you need to be somewhere Lizzie?" he snapped angrily, looking away. "I thought I heard Benton calling your name. Oh wait, I'm sorry, that was coming from a bathroom stall before," he drawled sarcastically, and Elizabeth's gaze turned icy cold.
"You son of a bitch," she hissed, turning and stalking out of the room. Robert's angry gazed followed her out, he sighed and let the expression fall. Turning his saddened eyes to Jordan, he bowed his head.
//Over a month of this. A month of this shit and silence and worrying. It's so fucking familiar - I never wanted to go through this again\\
Robert cracked his knuckles, feeling the sharp twinge of pain from his fingers ease the sudden sadness.
//If only - if only I had caught this sooner. If only I had paid more attention - god it's all happening again, the same scenario, the same pain and thoughts. Only this time there's not much more to lose. And, this time there were so many more ways to prevent it. And I call myself a doctor.\\
The sound of his pager going him off startled him out of his memories, and he jumped slightly in the chair. Glancing at it, he sighed as he read the message telling him to get up to the OR. Standing up he leaned over and, after a pause, gently squeezed Jordan's hand.
"Wake up soon."